LAPD Commission to Vote on Proposal That Would Make Video of Fatal Encounters, Shootings Public Within 45 Days

Share this:

Los Angeles Police Department video from officer body cameras, drones and patrol cars would be released under a new proposal made public Friday — one that, if approved, would be a striking about-face for an agency that currently does not release such recordings.

Under the plan, video from “critical incidents” involving the police — such as shootings by officers, deaths that occur in their custody or other encounters when they use force that kills or seriously injures someone — would automatically become public within 45 days after they occur. The Police Commission or police chief could also opt to release video from other encounters if they decided doing so was “in the public interest.”

The rules would extend beyond video captured by police cameras. Other footage of a critical incident that the LAPD has, including recordings from security cameras or bystanders’ cellphones, would also be released.

The Police Commission, the five-person civilian panel that oversees the LAPD and sets department policies, has yet to vote on the three-page draft that will be formally introduced at the board’s meeting Tuesday. Commissioners could vote on the policy next month, after a two-week window for public input.